Rebecca Sullivan has been “Becky” all her life, a real hoyden. Her childhood sweetheart taught her to ride bareback and shoot a rifle, but then he chose a “perfect lady” for a wife–a real Southern belle, who’s now expecting a baby. Heartbroken, Becky signs up to be a mail-order bride to a Seattle man, sight unseen. She resolves to squelch her hoydenish ways and become a “perfect lady” for her future husband.

If logging-operation owner Isaac Jessup had wanted a bride, he’d have chosen a sturdy frontier woman, not some fragile lady from back East. Ready to explain the mistake, honorable Isaac takes one look into Rebecca’s vulnerable eyes…and knows he’ll marry her, even though this delicate waif is obviously unsuited for wild Seattle.

Could an unexpected marriage be a match made in heaven?

Thoughts:

The Unexpected Bride is a wonderful, historical romance! Lena Goldfinch’s talents abound and I was so excited to read this sweet story. Engaging, humorous, and romantic, The Unexpected Bride is pure delight! I enjoyed the vivid imagery and attention to historical details, as well as the endearing characters and enchanting storyline. I loved this tender tale and can’t wait to continue the series!

Join Becky and Isaac from The Unexpected Bride in a romantic short story complete with sleigh bells, mistletoe, and sweet holiday surprises. It’s Christmas Eve, and smoke isn’t just rising from the chimney—it’s pouring from the stove due to yet another batch of burnt biscuits. Becky wants everything to be perfect for her family, but a ruined meal spells disaster for all her high hopes. Will the night end in despair…or with a happy Christmas dream?

Thoughts:

Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe is a delightful sequel to The Unexpected Bride! I loved revisiting Becky and Isaac in this short story, as well as several other beloved characters from Book 1 of The Brides series. I also enjoyed learning more about Jem and the excerpt from his story, The Bartered Bride, left me anxiously awaiting its release. I can’t wait to continue this wonderful series!

GIVEAWAY!
Only 1 day left, so enter now!!

Deck the halls and bring on the books! One winner will receive mistletoe earrings from the LuvlyMint Etsy shop, as well as a signed paperback copy of The Unexpected Bride, Book 1 in “The Brides” series. This prize is only available to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Three runners-up (can be international) will receive one e-copy each of Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe.

Weary of the expectations imposed on her by her strict upbringing, eighteen-year-old Mazy Pelfrey prepares to leave her home in the Kentucky mountains for the genteel city of Lexington, where she’ll attend secretarial school. She knows her life is about to change—and only for the better. Everything will be blue skies from now on.

But business school is harder than she thought it would be and the big city not as friendly, until she meets a charming young man from a wealthy family, Loyal Chambers. When Loyal sets his sights on her, Mazy begins to see that everything she’d ever wished to have is right before her eyes. The only hindrance to her budding romance is a former beau, Chanis Clay, the young sheriff she thought she’d left firmly behind.

Thoughts:

“Danger rumbles like thunder on a high mountain ridge when Mazy’s cosseted past collides with her clouded future and forces her to come to terms with what she really wants.”

Jan Watson’s beautiful writing brings to life the setting and characters of Buttermilk Sky. I was intrigued by Mazy Pelfrey and eager to know what would become of this young woman and her future. There were several secondary characters that also interested me, and I would love to read their stories. Buttermilk Sky is the first novel I have read by Jan Watson and I am eager to read more!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club Network. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

Two women receive marriage proposals in the same house—eighty-five years apart. Love finds a home on Christmas morning in two heartwarming holiday stories.

“Deck the Halls” – In 1925, the wealthy William Tronnier becomes smitten with the lovely but penniless Lillian Pickard. As Christmas descends on the picturesque town of Cary, North Carolina, William plans to make Lillian a proposal she can’t refuse. DEBBY MAYNE is the author of more than a dozen books and lives with her husband in Florida. Read more at http://www.debbymayne.com.

“Tis the Season”- Nikki Tronnier moves back home in Cary, North Carolina, with plans to buy back the Tronnier family home built by her great-grandfather, William, for his bride, Lillian. But before she is able to make an offer, the handsome Drew Cornell buys the house just before Christmas. TRISH PERRY is an award-winning, multipublished novelist who makes her home in Virginia. Read more at http://www.trishperry.com.

NEW RELEASE!

Join Becky and Isaac from The Unexpected Bride in a romantic short story complete with sleigh bells, mistletoe, and sweet holiday surprises. It’s Christmas Eve, and smoke isn’t just rising from the chimney—it’s pouring from the stove due to yet another batch of burnt biscuits. Becky wants everything to be perfect for her family, but a ruined meal spells disaster for all her high hopes. Will the night end in despair…or with a happy Christmas dream?Reconnect with your favorite characters from Book 1 of “The Brides” series and learn more about Jem (the hero of Book 2) in Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe. Includes an excerpt from Book 2, The Bartered Bride.

Short Story 1.5 in The Brides Series Sweet Historical Western Romance / A Mail-Order Bride Short Story

COVER REVEAL!

Coming Soon—The Bartered Bride

What’s a confirmed widower to do when he finds a bride in need of rescue?

James (“Jem”) Wheeler just wants to get back to the ranch in Colorado and make a fresh start after the loss of his wife. But when his train stops at a town in the middle of nowhere, his 2-year-old daughter runs off—straight to a mute young woman and a puppy. Before he has a chance to reclaim little Mae, he overhears an itinerant preacher preparing to sell off the woman to the highest bidder. It’s an injustice he can’t ignore, no matter the fact that he’d never planned on remarrying.

From a young age, all Annie has wanted is to belong. Abandoned and cast aside by those who should have loved her, and with no voice to protest against the wrongdoings she’s witnessed, her hope is but a faint flicker. When Jem steps into her life, she simply tries to get him to save the puppy—never expecting him to save her too.

Could a bartered bride and a grieving widower ever make a happy home together?

Book Two in The Brides SeriesSweet Historical Western Romance

Coming 2015!

LENA GOLDFINCH writes romance and fantasy for adults and teens. She’s a sucker for a good old-fashioned romance, whether it’s a novel, novella, or short story, young adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Elements of romance, fantasy, and mystery have a way of creeping into her writing, even when she’s writing historicals or something light and contemporary. Lena has been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden Heart and ACFW Genesis contests. She lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab.

GIVEAWAY!

Deck the halls and bring on the books! One winner will receive mistletoe earrings from the LuvlyMint Etsy shop, as well as a signed paperback copy of The Unexpected Bride, Book 1 in “The Brides” series. This prize is only available to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Three runners-up (can be international) will receive one e-copy each of Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe.

Lisa Wingate has written an e-short Christmas story, A Sandy’s Seashell Shop Christmas, and it’s only $0.99. Proceeds will help fund a donation to Operation Military Kids, which serves military children who are dealing with the deployment of a parent.

A magical place, an island Christmas eve, a broken family in need of healing….

For young military widow, Tiff Riley, Christmas isn’t just another day. It’s the worst of all days. Hiding out on Hatteras Island with three-and-a-half-year-old Micah, she’s desperate to once again ignore the anniversary of tragedy. The winter-season quiet of North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the perfect place to escape. It never feels like Christmas at the beach.

But in tiny Hatteras Village, the crew at Sandy’s Seashell Shop is determined to make sure no one is forgotten at Christmas. Is it possible for a magical Christmas Eve at the Seashell Shop to help mend one damaged life? On a night of miracles, in a place of miracles, can a young widow’s heart be reopened to joy, hope… and even love?

Thoughts:

I adore this special little story! A Sandy’s Seashell Shop Christmas is a Christmas tale that warms your heart and begs to be read again and again! Lisa Wingate once again brings the wonderful residents of Fairhope to life, as they share a magical Christmas Eve with a young military widow and her little boy. Brimming with hope, healing, and the magic of Christmas, this little story is the perfect holiday read!